Planned stop in Downtown Jacksonville

We left the Naval Air Station here in Jacksonville yesterday, as planned, Monday, December 19th, about 1415 (2:15pm for those of you in Rio Linda) and headed over to Sadler Point Marina (2nm away) to pump out the holding tank prior to heading downtown.  The St. John's River flows right along the middle of downtown Jax and the city has provided a very nice bulkhead for transient boaters to tie up to and enjoy the shopping area called "The Landing".  It has been our plan to get over there and enjoy the scenery all along.  The pump out went well, and we tied up to the bulkhead downtown at about 1700.  Just as dark was settling in.  The challenge was Renne' had turned the genset on while we were motoring over and it kept shutting down.

Now the engine ran fine, so I figured the fuel filter for the genset must have clogged, so I got the spare fuel filter out and proceeded to change it.  Have I said before what a small area there is in the engine room for any type of real work!!  Now I have been on a kick to lose some of this excess weight, and I am down 10 pounds and one belt loop, but it is still not enough to comfortably get in the engine room without cramping one or two muscles!  So I got that done.  Turned the genset on and 15 seconds later it shut down again.  So I had to empty the upper compartment, heretofore, called the garage, where I keep most of my spares, and littered up the stateroom with various and sundry plastic boxes!  Now when that much stuff comes out, there isn't much room in the stateroom to maneuver either!  Let alone take down the housing and uncover the freaking genset!   So as I am getting a bit frustrated, Renne' was trying to help by making suggestions, and I was getting more frustrated, til she suggested the impeller might have broken!  So we turned the genset on, and sure enough it wasn't making water so I proceeded to remove the raw water pump cover - which dropped into the cover housing and I spent 10 minutes fishing it out.  I had purchased some angled awls, not really knowing what I would ever do with them, but doggone it, they were the solution to recovering the cover and removing the impeller.  Sometimes I feel so smug.  Then I dropped the 10mm wrench into the bilge which became a lost item. ^&*)^*)^&(*)!  So the impeller came out all chewed up, and I don't have a spare impeller.  Called my most hated West Marine store and they don't have it in stock.  So fortunately, the NextGen dealer/manufacturer is here in Jax, so this morning our nephew Fletcher is coming over to pick me up to transport me there to buy a bunch of spare parts!

So as I realize this stuff will be out until I get everything fixed, I had to move everything into the main cabin.  That included the screws and cover for the impeller, and as I picked one up, I dropped it into the bilge.  Renne' was not impressed with the language I used at the bilge, the genset, at her, at life in general!  But I did get out my long reach plunger/grabber thing I have had for 10 years and found the little tiny 10mm screw that sat on top of an oil sponge in the bilge!  Doggone, the plunger/grabber thing worked, I recovered the screw, and convinced myself that ALL of the tools and spares I had to unpack and move and move again were worth keeping onboard rather than littering the St. John's River and The Landing with by throwing them all OVERBOARD. 

So I am waiting for Fletcher.  Again, this was a planned stop overnight here in Jax, I just hope we are able to get the parts and get out of here today - As we had originally planned!

Meet us for sundowners tonight.  We should have all the AC power we need - Hopefully!

JonNe'

We are here in Jax til the 19th.

Doggone it!! 

The cold front just passed and we would love to get out tomorrow.  We have been working to do that, however, it appears we won't be out of here til at least the 19th.  If you look at passage weather or one of the other wind and swell programs I have listed below, the real problem is the wave heights next week.  We could be fine until Monday, then everything breaks loose as far as wave height is concerned, until Thursday.  Renne's son, Erik, graduates with his Masters in Accountancy on the 17th so we have decided to stand pat until after his graduation. 

I am soooo disappointed, but the better part of valor says stand pat!

We will keep you up to date.

Jon and Renne'

Hoping to be out of here Thursday

We have spent the last two days doing little projects that have to get done.  Yesterday, Renne' spent the day renewing her enjoyment of sewing by putting together storage bags, a new laundry bag, and a sun shade for the cockpit sides when it gets particularly bright.  We will have to put some matching snaps on the sunshade to match the snaps on the full enclosure, but that will have to wait for a few more days.  I spent yesterday securing the ladder into the main cabin which we found to be floating out of it's stays while in heavier seas.  Then I did the same thing to the compartment doors for the engine room and tool compartment (above the engine room). Today I spent working on the bilge pump switch.  Since the new engine was put in, I can't get into the engine room as easily as I used to.  I can't say it was ever easy, but it certainly is not any more!!

When we first arrived in Jacksonville, I slipped a couple of free bilge socks (from the marina) into the bilge in the hope of collecting any oil that might leak from the engine.  It is supposed to make the bilge a more pleasant place to play in when necessary.  However, I discovered free does not necessarily make good!  When I first got into the bilge and tried to remove them, they had turned to a gel that solidified around the bilge pump switch and then leaked!  That damaged the switch and cost us another $77 to replace.  Got it done today, but not without being challenged!  I find I can only accomplish one major task per day.  Believe me it can get discouraging!!

However it is fixed, and that is the major project I had to accomplish.  We will head to St. Cloud tomorrow for Renne's final appointment on her appendix. She is healing well and leaving Thursday should not be a problem for her.  We just need to look closer at the weather to decide if we will head outside or down the intercoastal.

We have several friends enroute to places.  We are following our friends, Bruce and Gina who left Jax Saturday, down the ICW.  Our friend, Janet Cole is aboard Lea, coming across the Okechobee Waterway to Stuart, Fl.  We will probably meet them somewhere as they head north.  Our friends Jim Delane and his lovely wife, Linda are on a ball at Marathon.  We hope to see them in the next 7-10 days. 

So Wednesday we go shopping when we get back from St. Cloud.  We do need to get the dinghy off the deck once we leave the dock.  We had to trash the life raft today.  Renne' had taken it over to have it inspected and repacked, however, when she yanked the halyard and blew it up, it inflated well, but immediately deflated.  The pressure relief valves failed.  When I got over there today to talk with the inspectors, we began to unfold the raft and the flooring failed.  Needless to say, thank God we didn't need the raft!!  So for the forseeable future, we will depend on the dinghy for our liferaft.

So didn't have sundowners tonite.  Renne' and I are trying to loose some weight before April.

So stop by with some diet somethings and we will enjoy the sunset Wednesday night!

JonNe'

Our Proposed Route

First of all, Renne' is back at her Dad's house as of yesterday.  I had to run to Jacksonville today for weather purposes, and tomorrow if the weather is willing, I will take JonNe' over to Sadler Point Marina for some welding on the davits/tower to make it easier to get the davit lift all the way into the full upright position.

We were discussing our plans yesterday afternoon with Renne's uncle Lee Swallow (he helped us move JonNe' from Jacksonville to Beaufort, SC).  I am including a picture of our proposed route from Key West to Guatamala via the Bahamas, the Virgins, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Caymans, Swan Island, Guanaja, Rowatan, and the Rio Dulce.  Again, this is proposed.  Our only firm date is to be in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands before the 20th of April.

Again this is ONLY a projected route - as with anything we ever do, it is subject to CHANGE - ya know, kinda like we were promised in the last election.  LOL!

So tomorrow night I will be on my own for Sundowners, but Thursday, meet us in St. Cloud.  Love to see ya there.

JonNe'

A Minor Inconvenience!

We left Jacksonville and drove to St. Cloud, Florida on Monday at noon, for a Thanksgiving with Renne's parents and other family members.  We had planned on cooking and eating Thankgiving dinner at the ranch at Overstreet Landing.  It was discovered, however, the natural gas line in the walls of the main house was leaking and we couldn't use the stove to cook with. So, we were torn about celebrating at the ranch or the townhouse in St. Cloud.  Tuesday we began shopping and planning food for a great turkey dinner.  Wednesday we began serious food preparation - cooking pies, mixing dry ingredients for dressing, cooking sweet potatoes, snapping fresh green beans, boiling eggs, cooking the squash, brandying cranberries, etc.  We decided Wednesday that we could celebrate at the ranch, but would have to prepare the food at the townhouse - a 30 mile trip each way.  Thursday morning, Renne' and I got up and finished all of the food preparation, then packed it all in the jeep and set out for the ranch house.  We felt like we were delivering Meals on Wheels!  Thanksgiving dinner consisted of:

20lb turkey
7 lb spiral ham
Cornbread and sausage dressing
Giblet gravy
Fresh snap green beans
Sweet Potato casserole
Squash Souffle'
Deviled Eggs
Mashed Potatoes
Brandied Cranberries
Fresh Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

Needless to say, as always, it was TOO MUCH!!

We had the kids out playing touch football and soccer, driving around the ranch chasing cows on the four-wheeler, and helping muck out the stables with a very sweet 12 y/o young lady who is 5th in the world riding cutting horses.  Her future step-mother, Wilma's daughter, Jody, is a world champion barrel racer.  Wow, what a line of athletes!

Thursday evening, Renne' and I got back to the townhouse, and as we were getting ready for bed, Renne' complained about her abdomen hurting.  That was unusual!  By midnight, she was in a fetal position, shivering and sweating bullets.  By 1230, we were on our way to the emergency room at the local hospital.

Friday morning at 9am, Renne' went into surgery for an appendectomy!

Saturday afternoon - we are sitting in her hospital room while she is eating - no drinking her liquid/jello dinner!  She is doing great!  She should leave the hospital tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.  We will stay here in St. Cloud until her followup appointment with the Internist, and hopefully we will be back on the boat by next weekend.  A delay, but we are more than thankful it all happened here and not while we are out cruising the Caribbean.  There is always a silver lining to every adventure we are experiencing.

So we are not having Sundowners tonite - unless you consider Ensure an adequate substitute.  However, we will be ack to the docks soon, and we will let you know when to meet us.

Until then,
JonNe'

Philosophy - a lesson on who I am

First, I neglected to put a route summary of this leg from Charleston to Jacksonville up in the last segment, so here it is.  I have really enjoyed telling this story.

Yesterday, I jumped on an Air Force C-17 bound for Charleston about 3:30 pm.  I didn't get to Charleston until close to 11:30 pm.  What I didn't realize was there was a leg from Jacksonville to McDill AFB in Tampa; a leg from McDill to Homestead AFB in Miami; a leg from there to Dobbins ARB in Atlanta and then, finally, on to Charleston.  I hired a taxi to take me over to the marina at Cooper River to pick up the car, then booked a room at the Red Roof Inn.  I actually was pleased it was clean, relatively new furniture and shower, and a comfortable mattress!  We had accidentally left a dock line and Renne's meds were finally delivered there by mail at Cooper River and I had to pick up her contacts at a local optometrist.

While I was regaling the adventure about basically flying IFR into the St. John's River, I compared it to my flying helicopters for the Navy.  I realized while we were preparing for this adventure in 2010, that who I am is a compilation of what I have done in my life.  I was a helicopter pilot.  I could have requested jet powered planes or prop driven planes, but I chose helicopters.  For much of my Navy career, I was almost embarrassed about it.  Jet jocks looked down their noses at us as pilots who were third class citizens - we didn't fly as fast, or carry loads of weaponry, or catapult off carrier decks.  We weren't glamorous.  We just plucked them out of the water when their fancy jet engines failed or out of jungles and deserts when shot down, saving their lives.  While I was in flight training, I learned to shoot muzzle-loading firearms.  We didn't re-load fast, shoot loads of ammunition, or hit targets at long distances.  We weren't glamorous.  We just kept re-loading, shooting and building rifles and pistols.  And I am a sailor.  I love sailing sailboats.  They aren't as fast as power boats, they require a lot more work, and as the other hobbies in my life, sailboats aren't normally glamorous.

I discovered something about each of these other modalities.  Jets, modern firearms, and powerboats all have a purpose.  To get from point A to point B, do their business and return to point A.  Generally as fast as possible.  The destination is the goal.  What I discovered about flying helicopters, shooting muzzle-loaders, and sailing boats it that it isn't getting to point B from point A, it is the PROCESS of getting to point B from point A.  You have to work at it, appreciate it, and love doing it!

I was laughing about flying IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) on a sailboat complete with radar, route planning and following, and transponders; everything you need to fly in an airplane or helicopter under IFR conditions, all at 3 knots vs 180 kts or 300 kts.  One of the guys who was listening to our adventures said it was because I like it slow rather than fast.  I realized no, that had nothing to do with it.  It was the process not only the final goal.  The other guy said it was the JOURNEY, not necessarily the DESTINATION.  And that explains who I am.  I love the Journey, not just the Destination.

Renne' is much like me, but she enjoys the Destination a bit more than the Journey.  But we are good for each other, and as we mature in this role of Adventurer's and Sailor's we become GREAT for each other.

So we leave for St. Cloud Monday in preparation for Thanksgiving and we will be leaving for Key West the Monday after.  Our friends, Greg and Linda, have suggested they might get down here to Jacksonville before we leave.  We truly hope they do.  We enjoy having them as part of our lives.  Thanks guys.

So Sundowners at the docks tomorrow evening.  Let us know if you are coming.  We will have to meet you at the front gate of the Naval Air Station.  We will see you then.

JonNe'

We Left Cooper River Early - On Monday

Thursday, November 17, 2011

First of all, I can’t believe it is November 17!  Time is going by so quickly.  It almost seems like yesterday that we left Kemah if February.

We are back in Jacksonville, Florida.  We arrived here yesterday morning after a very interesting night.  

We departed Cooper River Marina, in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina at 1200 Noon on Monday.  We left at Slack Tide and Current.  By leaving then, we were at the very height of high tide about to change to low tide (outgoing tide) and fortunately, Mother Nature timed the change from Flood Current to Ebbing Current (fastest outgoing).  So we were heading down the river with the tide going out and the current building up.  Man did we have a ride out!  9 knots at one point.  That was as fast as we were riding the Gulf Stream coming north out of Miami when we left Key West.  Of course when we got out of Charleston Harbor reality struck, and we were headed south to Jacksonville with a slight opposing Gulf Current residual and we were making about 4.5kts on the open water with a southwest wind of 15kts true on our nose.

We motored!  Those of you who know us will have heard the axiom we use.  If you are cruising on a sailboat, you will spend:

50% of the time MOTORING,

15% of the time SAILING,

15% of the time MOTOR-SAILING

And,

20% of the time SAILING when you should have been MOTORING!

So far, that has been completely true – and always will be if you have ANY type of plan in place!

So we chugged along all Monday, and Monday night.  Gorgeous weather, not a cloud in the sky.  An exquisite view of the Milky Way with the Trillions of stars out there.  The ¾ moon shining down as we rounded 2045 (8pm for those of you who live in Rio Linda) – Talk about a wonderful way of communing with nature with no traffic out there AT ALL!  We were alone in the world.  

Tuesday morning dawned with high Cirrus clouds building and later lower Stratus clouds – to the point where by mid-afternoon we were completely cloud covered.  The early warning of the cold front that would be passing Tuesday night if we stayed around.  Tuesday afternoon found the seas building around us and we started bouncing a bit.  By the time we were well south of Hilton Head and abeam Cumberland Island (Latitude 31 degrees), about 1600 (4pm) we heard the first call on the radio:  “This is US Navy Patrol Aircraft calling the sailboat at 30 degrees, 28  minutes by 081 degrees 45 minutes”.  That wasn’t quite our lat/long – close, but not ours.  The aircraft continued, “you are about to enter a live fire exercise area, and you need to leave immediately.  He never received a response.  The sailboat obviously was not monitoring Channel 16.  We looked around because we knew he was near, and saw his sails on the horizon to our left.  We heard this radio call four times over the next 20 minutes.  Hmmmm, that wasn’t quite our lat/long, but I called the Navy Patrol Aircraft anyway to verify he was not calling us.  When he responded, I asked him if we were at a good lat/long and heading.  He came back a few seconds later stating if we proceed as we are, we should NOT be in harm’s way.

By 2200 (10pm) we were hove-to trying to rest prior to making our run into the St. John’s River so as to arrive at 0745 for Slack Tide and Current to make the run up-river on the flood (incoming tide) and ebb current (slowest).  About midnight we heard the announcement again, but more emphatically with a longer and more detailed statement, “This is US Navy Patrol Aircraft calling the sailboat at 30 degrees, 28  minutes by 081 degrees 45 minutes.  You are entering a Live Fire Target Range using missiles, there was an announcement in the current Notice to Mariner’s declaring this a hazardous and dangerous area to be in.  If you do not make an IMMEDIATE turn to 220 degrees and proceed at that heading for 10 miles you may be in danger of being hit.  Your safety cannot be guaranteed”

With that, we decided to leave our hove-to position and head on to the mouth of the St. John’s.  We didn’t want to dawdle too long here.  As we made our last waypoint with 3 miles left to our entrance we heard the same patrol aircraft calling ANOTHER sailboat, but telling him to make an immediate right turn to a heading of 280 degrees for 40 miles to get around the live fire range.  We added an item to our pre-departure checklist – check Notice to Mariner’s before leaving!

So our trip in from the hove-to position 13 miles from the mouth of the St. John’s was just as interesting.  We were in the FOG again.  Now prior to leaving Charleston, remember, I climbed the mast to fix the radar.  That was good, because dense fog is not my idea of a fun time.  Renne’ and I had discussed heading into Jacksonville at night, and I had to admit to her that going in under just lights of the waterway was not comfortable for me.  She thought it would be easier than going in under the fog bank we were in at that moment.  I commented it was no different than flying IFR.  I had a GPS/Chart plotter with my route plugged in (the IFR airways charts and instruments), Radar to see ahead of me in the fog (equivalent of having Flight Center following my progress) and AIS (Automatic Information System) to see and identify traffic around me (IFF Transponder).  Here we were flying into the St. John’s River, through the jetty (MUCH NARROWER than the Galveston Jetty), and up the St. John’s until about 1000 (10 am) at a blazing speed of - 3kts!  There was traffic in the ship anchorage we had go around, fishing boats (who were as NUTS as we were) out there in the goo we had to avoid, and a dredge out there calling us for permission to cut across the channel in front of us to avoid collision.  If it had been at 180kts, I would have felt Renne’ could  have just passed her IFR check flight.  We spent most of the night and morning in fog so dense we couldn’t see the bow of the boat twenty feet in front of us, but we could see 12 – 24 miles ahead of us and in most directions around us with the radar.  We actually felt very safe!  I am sure the traffic around us thought we were freaking nuts though!

We arrived in downtown Jacksonville and stopped to eat lunch at a restaurant at “The Landing”; a popular social area restored downtown, and then set out for Sadler Point to pump out our holding tank prior to heading for the Naval Air Station (NAS).  Actually we are two miles from the NAS marina, but they don’t have that capability.  By the time we had finished that project, we decided to stay here.  So we are tied to the dock at Ortega River Yacht Club.  We missed Don Finney and Elaine by a week here.  They are down in Ft. Lauderdale and perhaps when we leave we will catch up with them.

So we had Sundowners last night with our friends Bruce and Gina, but missed having you join us there.  You really will have to come down to the docks one evening.  The Tinto Verano’s are fabulous!  So perhaps tonight, 6:30pm at NAS Jax.  See ya’ll there!

JonNe’

We are getting ready to leave some time this next week

When Renne' and I arrived back from Spain in September, there was a Maxi-60, round-the-world race yacht tied up at the far end of the transient dock, where they dock the mega-yachts that very occasionally end up here.  It was a bright yellow, and I had planned every day to walk over to take a look at it.  But getting things done here on the boat, relaxing, getting ready for our next adventure meant I ignored the Maxi's presence and I never got over to look at it.

While we were at the Annapolis Boat Show, prior to heading to California, we spent a few hours at a seminar "Laying Plans for Your Long Term Passage" listening to Lin and Larry Pardy (the patron saints of cruisers),

Liza Copeland (frequent author and contributor to Cruising World),

Don Street (solo cruiser and serious author of books on the Caribbean),

 (Don Street and Liza Copeland - Annapolis Boat Show 2011)

and Brad Van Liew (the only American to race solo around the world three times and two time winner of the Velux 5 Oceans solo race around the world 2002-2003 and 2010-2011),

 (Le Penguion)

needless to say, it was an impressive lineup for a panel.

So when Renne' and I returned from California, there were two changes to the docks:  First, the Maxi-60 was now docked next to JonNe'. 

 So do you notice a similarity to the picture above??  Well, we didn't even know who the boat belonged to until the other day when our diver told us it belonged to Brad Van Liew!  Needless to say, we were a bit shocked by the whole deal.  Then I started comparing things!

First:  There are no shackles on board.  Every piece of equipment on the deck is held in place by line!

 Even the bowsprit bobstay is line - NOT STAINLESS STEEL!

Now I found that amazing.  However, not as amazing as the fact there is NOTHING inside this monster Maxi-60 for the most part.  There is a genset (enough to power a watermaker as he stated at the seminar) for battery power for the electronics and sails!  There is no head - he used a bucket.  There is no galley (he used boil bags of dehydrated foods), there is just a hollow shell with sails in it and some spare line!  So who needs comfort!  And he completed this last trip in 158 days!

So I walked around the dock for perspective.  Now I will be ascending the mast today to fix the radar, replace the spare halyard we had to cut which is still at the top of the mast, and replace the American Flag that is in so need of replacement-but the flag halyard jammed and I have to replace that too.  So when I looked at JonNe' and Le Penguoin from a distance I felt dwarfed!

Can you say dwarf in the presence of a giant?  Shoot, the top of our 63' mast doesn't even reach his second set of spreaders.  Now I absolutely HATE going aloft to the top of our mast in a slip.  I can't imagine having to go aloft that high, by yourself, at sea!!  Makes me shudder!

The second changed was the Gulfstar 46, Ragtime, we crewed on during our third place finish in the 2011 Charleston Harbor Leukemia Race is now docked here.

Yesterday, I worked on the SSB (Single Side Band) Radio, and we have gotten the anchor windlass working again.  From here I need to finish the SSB, get the radar antenna working, the new AIS with radio working, and the dinghy mounted back on the foredeck.  Then wait out the weather to make the trip south.  It doesn't look too good for Wednesday, and if we aren't out by Saturday, the 19th, we will probably scrap the trip and head south after Thanksgiving.  Now that seems really cold!!  So wish us luck.

We had Tinto Verano's (red wind coolers from Spain) again last night with a friend who came to visit.  We were down below, though as the temp keeps dropping after dark.  So come visit us tonight!  We will have Tinto's for Sundowners again!!

Best for now,

JonNe'

We are back aboard

FINALLY!!!

First to our friends, family, and followers who have religiously been stopping by for a visit here - thanks, we really enjoy hearing from you about our adventures!

Second, we haven't stopped cruising, we have just been land cruising for the past few months while we wait out hurricane season.  We got started late in the cruising season this year (February 13th if ya'll remember) from Texas, so we really want to get going as early as possible this year.  We laugh about our schedule, however, since arriving here in Charleston, we have put 1,006 miles on the boat, about 7500 air miles under our belts, a couple of thousand train miles, and almost 18,000 miles on our car and a couple of rental cars!!!!  Now that is land cruising!  For gas, the least we paid was $2.87 and the most in the US was $4.49.9 (in California).

We arrived back in the marina last night about 11:30pm after driving from Houston to Pensacola, then to Jacksonville, then up north to Charleston.  Renne' has a doctor's appointment this morning she has been waiting for since September.  I have new glasses to pick up, and a whole list full of things we have to get done on the boat before we leave.

Looking at the calendar, it appears that we have about 9 days to accomplish the list.  I will feed daily updates on what all is being done.  My first project will begin today.  I have to stop by a Radio Shack to pick up an AMP Pin Puller for a repair on the Lighthouse windass.  I have to replace some pins in the remote switch as well as replace the solenoid for the foot switch.  Hopefully that will fix the windlass so Renne' can get me up the mast this weekend.  Hopefully we can recruit a third individual from here on the docks to assist us in getting the radar ready to go.  I also have to go all the way to the top to untangle and replace the spare halyard we were using to raise the dinghy when we ran into the problem with the windlass.  That should be the start.

My projects include:
1) Modification of the dinghy davits - need some welding done
2) Repair of the Radar Antenna
3) Replace the spare halyard at the top of the mast
4) Install new AIS antenna
5) Replace bow dock line chock - which got ripped off in bad weather while we were in California
6) Install the Single Side Band radio - Finally
7) Straighten this place up - Renne' is really good at doing this project
8) Various sewing projects - Renne' really wants to using this "New" Used Sewing machine.

As with all lists, I am sure this will multiply.  You all know the axiom of starting one project and three more will arise as a result!! 

So for now, gotta fix breakfast, get Renne' to her Dr.s appt, and various shopping requirements to get this place really liveable again.

Surprisingly, however, all of our electrical systems work, including the heater.  Wow, heat in 52 degree weather.

So warm sundowners on the dock tonite.  Decaf Coffee and Kaluha sounds really good to me right about now.  See you guys then, bring your own cups!!

For Now,

JonNe'

Special shout-out to Paul at "The Boaters Resale Shop"  in Kemah for having the exact replacement chock for the bow - and for only $5.00.  We haven't been able to find it anywhere else!  Paul, we are so lucky to have you guys in our home town as well as on-line my friend!!  If you haven't met Paul and his staff yet, stop by the store!
www.boatersresaleshopoftexas.com

So we need to make a decision

We probably don't want to wait more than a couple of hours to make this decision, it is 0800 on Saturday now.  The weather is deteriorating a bit here, the inside of the boat is a mess, as we have to store things below when we are gone that normally are stored above in the cockpit.  The wind and rain have picked up so heading up the mast won't happen today, nor will replacing the chock that tore off of the bow while we were gone take place.

So I think, in all, we will head for Houston to get the house ready to rent come Tuesday.  Have to pull the carpet out and replace it.  Also have to figure out why the french doors are giving us a bit of trouble.  The house shifted 3/8's of an inch. 

The challenge is we need to get out of Charleston soon.  My goal is to be out of here by the 20th, but earlier would be better.  It starts to get cold and blustry (is that a word?) here, and we want to be back below Lat 31 (Hilton Head) before it really gets cold here in the Harbor.

So today, we have to decide - and soon.

In the meantime, we may see you guys on the docks for Sundowners in Kemah on Sunday.

Best for now,

JonNe'

We Really Want To Get Back To The Boat!!!

Okay, we are tired of being gone.  We miss JonNe' (our Tayana 42) a lot! 

We arrived at Travis on Sunday, October 16th, and sadly, discovered my Uncle George had passed away during the night, and we had missed getting to see him.  We rented a car from Avis and drove south to Los Angeles on Monday morning.  It is a 6 hour drive, and needless to say, we were pretty well beat when we got there.  My cousin, Trisha, was more than hospitable and opened her house to us while we were there.  By Tuesday morning, it was obvious nothing was going to take place until the following week as far as the funeral was concerned, so Renne' and I made the decision to try to head back to the East Coast until the funeral.  By Tuesday evening we were back at Travis to try getting a flight back to Andrews.  It didn't happen.  We also looked at a flight to Hickam AFB in Oahu, HI, but we ended up passengers 85 and 86 with only 73 seats available. 

By Thursday, it looked bad for the East Coast, so we headed up NAPA Valley for the day.  Friday, we were South of San Jose to visit our friends Kathy and Mark Stanton, whom we had not seen in 6 years.  We enjoyed two lovely days with them and thirteen different winerys (is that with a y? or ie?).  By the end of two days, we couldn't look at another glass of wine!

Monday, we headed south down Hwy 1, along the coast of California.  What an incredible drive!  I really enjoyed driving through the hairpin curves there, with the view of the ocean on our right (starboard) side and the hills to our left.  We stopped at San Simione to see The Ranch at San Simione, or the Hearst Castle.  Talk about opulent!  However, it did remind us of the cathedrals we had seen in Spain during our August trip there.

The funeral was Tuesday morning, and it was a wonderful ceremony.  Now the Siewers side of this clan tends to view funerals as a celebration of life rather than a maudlin, sad time.  In all, with the reception later in the day, at my cousin, Dave and Charlotte's place, we did indeed celebrate my Uncle George's life!  It was a good time, and great to see all of my cousins.

But yesterday, Wednesday, we headed back north to Travis, and today, we are waiting, again, for a Space Available flight back to Washington, DC.  The first of two flights was delayed until tomorrow.  The second will leave in two hours.  We are hoping to be on that flight.  If so, we will be back in DC by about 9pm tonight.  We will decide if we start driving then or wait until the morning.

More when we get back.  In the meantime, have a few glasses of wine at your own dock tonight, and we will see you for sundowners tomorrow night in Charleston Harbor.  Until then, drive safely and live life to the fullest!!

Jon and Renne'
(JonNe')

So a continuance or our Land Cruising

Renne' and I had planned to fly Space Available on a military flight from Andrews Air Force Base to California on the Monday (October 10) after the boat show, but didn't realize it was Columbus Day - no one flying that day.  So we waited for the flight on Wednesday, and that flight was cancelled.  So as we were driving out of Washington to head back to the boat in Charleston, I looked at Renne' and said, you've always wanted to see Niagra Falls - let's go!


So off we headed NORTH!  5 hours later, we were in New York.  We decided to stop in Cornwall-on-Hudson, near the Military Academy at West Point.  So Renne's wanted me to see her house there.  So we drive by and Renne' wants to knock on the door!  So she announces that she built the house, and the owner invites us in!

After 2-1/2 hours, they had invited us for dinner and to spend the night!  We had other plans however, and left to find Renne's friend, Brenda.

her friends, Raelyn and Charley

and Pamela J

(Renne's smiling as I put this together!)

While she stayed there, I headed farther north to Rochester to see my Uncle Dean and his lovely lady friend, Sue.  Haven't seen Dean in 12 years since my dad's funeral.

 While in Rochester, I ended up crossing the Erie Canal at least 5 times, so I decided to stop and take a few pics. 

 This is lock #32 - the Erie is pretty much used only for recreational traffic right now.  Not much commercial can fit through the locks anymore

 The trees, as of October 13th had gotten to this point in their color change between New York City and Rochester.  It will be a late fall color bonanza this year!

Got back to Washington and Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday and finally caught a flight to Travis Air Force Base via Washington State on Sunday.

 this is a pic of the C-17 we flew from Andrews to McCord to Travis

 Now this actually was the aircraft we flew out - actually we were not supposed to take these pics

 This is Renne after about 4 hours of flying - still had 2 hours left to go - the cabin was so large, it was difficult to keep it warm.  So the temp - at 30,000' was about 54 degrees.

So Where Else Would You Expect Renne'?

We're Cruising, Just Not On JonNe' Right Now

Renne' and I have been feeling a bit guilty lately. 

We are cruising on JonNe', but at this moment, haven't been aboard her for 4 days shy of a month.  As we have been so attached to JonNe', for so long, it is as if we have left her to forage on her own while we are out LAND CRUISING for a while.  I decided, just this morning, that we are STILL cruising, and we would be doing this in a foreign country too.  We just haven't arrived in a foreign country yet!!

When we arrived in Charleston in August,

 Fort Sumpter - start of the Civil War

 Downtown Charleston from Charleston Harbor - One of the early ports renowned as a haven for early pirates:  Anne Bonny, Bartholomew Roberts, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), and numerous other ne'er-do-wells.

 USS Yorktown at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina

 Bridge over the Cooper River

we were so excited about the prospect of joining Doug and Barbara on their adventure in Spain.  Prior to leaving we stripped JonNe' bare of all her sails, her canvas, cushions, ice chests, anything that might blow away should she experience a hurricane or tropical disturbance while we were gone, and added an extra set of dock lines.  While we were in Spain, Hurricane Irene decided to pay her a visit, yet she visited on the good side of the neighborhood (east side of us), yet she was still pretty rude with 40+ knots of wind.  So to to top that visit off, Tropical Storm Lee came roaring northeast out of the Gulf of Mexico and hit JonNe' from the West (the bad side of a tropical disturbance) with 50+ kts of wind.  We called the Cooper River Marina, and they had already added just one extra dockline to one cleat, and they said she was doing great. 

When we returned to her on September 6th, we were (all three - Renne', me, and JonNe') tired and needed the comfort of just resting together.  It took two weeks to get everything put back together and functional again!

So several things began to appear on our schedule:  Our granddaughter, Junniper's birthday (Asheville, NC), the Annapolis Boat Show (Annapolis, MD), my Uncle George was very ill (Los Angeles, CA), etc.  So at the end of September, we headed north to Columbia to see Renne's family for a few days, then up to The Cliff's at Glassy Mountain to see our friends, Buzz and Carol Buvinghausen, and on to Asheville for Juniper's birthday by October 2nd.  While we were in Ashville, our friends, Bill and Coreen Hamilton just happened to show up and we had a fabulous time all the way around with family and friends.  From there, we headed directly to Annapolis, MD for the Annapolis Boat Show.  People would ask if we were looking for anything in particular, and we would answer, No, but wanted to see what was new.  As it turned out, there wasn't much in our price range we need on the boat (thankfully).

While in Annapolis, we met up with our longtime friend, Malcolm Jones (both Renne' and Malcolm remind me always they have known each other LONG before me!!), Gina Gibson and her husband, Bruce Senay, and also Greg and Valinda.  That was a great weekend!

So enough of my rambling for this portion, meet us in the San Jose' area of California at a nearby winery for a glass tonite.

Jon and Renne'

The Pyrenees Mountains of Spain

First of all, we apologize to those of you who have expressed concern due to the lack of input on this blog.  We have been very busy since we arrived in Charleston Harbor by getting ready to travel, traveling, recovering from travel, working on the boat, getting ready to travel, traveling, recovering from travel and working on the boat!  

So here is the next installment!

No sooner had we arrived back in El Masnou from our sailing trip to San Feliu as posted on August 29th, Barb had us planning and preparing the next leg of our adventure – a trip to the Pyrenees Mountains.  We were in Port Masnou just long enough to get our bearings, our wash done, some grocery shopping done, a few Tinto Veranos (actually wine coolers or Sangrias), and then off for the train station.  We rode the Metro north to Girona in Northeastern Spain where we rented a car.  Barb and Doug had bought a Garmin Neva GPS prior to leaving the states with Europe already loaded into the software.  

So off we drove in a new Peugeot with a 5 speed transmission with our lives in Doug’s hands.

 

Our first overnight was at a hotel in La Vall de Boi.  The Pyrenees Mountains are spectacular.  These are 5000’ above sea level in the northeast of Spain, and rival anything the Rockies in the U.S. have for dramatic landscape!  I can tell you, the movies you see of the hairpins in Europe are nothing to actually riding in a car through them.

 

The drop-off here, three feet from the roadway, was about 300 feet down the mountain side.  I was not sure why there were not many guard rails for the roads, but this is not a place you would want to have been drinking much, and really not someplace you would want to have to pass a large truck. 

This next one however, was even MORE of a drop off than the other one!!

 

This was a small community on our way to Vall du Boi – You can see several different construction periods in the walls of this building.  Interestingly, this was just one building, but if I remember correctly, it housed several families.

 

The date on this building placed it at 1783.  Property in this area of Spain is tightly regulated.  In an effort to preserve the history of this country, new buildings cannot be built on property that already has a historic building on it or ruin without incorporating the ruin into the new structure.

 

As we were her in August/September, most of the gardens, farms, and flowers were in full bloom!

Grape harvest was not far off – Renne’ saw this bunch and couldn’t resist taking a picture!

Here is Renne’ admiring the photographer!!

 

By late afternoon, we reached Erill la Vall.  The roadway Doug drove up to get us there was NERVE WRACKING!! But we arrived and the community of probably 250 individuals was beautiful.

 

The church below can also be seen in the photo above, just in the center of the picture.  

And as you can see in the photo of the community sign the church is also the scenic center also.

The church was even more stunning in the evening light!

 

As the sun set, the temp also began to fall, and it was the first time Renne’ and I had been forced to put on a jacket since leaving Houston!  But what an adventure!